Angels Sign Pomeranz & Romano: What to Make of Moves

The left-hander was mainly a two-pitch pitcher years ago, and that remained true in 2025. Pomeranz lived with a fastball that sat in the low-90s with cut, a pitch that he used 77% of the time this season. Additionally, his primary secondary pitch was a hard curveball.

No, the velocity wasn’t the same as it was four years ago. However, Pomeranz induced a lot of swings up and out of the zone with that fastball last season, which resulted in a fair amount of whiffs. His curveball, meanwhile, got him some ground balls.

As expected, left-handers had a much more difficult time hitting Pomeranz. Opposing same-sided hitters went .176/.238/.203 (.440 OPS) against the veteran left-hander. Right-handed hitters, on the other hand, slashed .234/.320/.374 (.694 OPS) off him.

Per reports, Pomeranz will get a one-year deal worth $4MM.

A Look at Romano

The same can’t be said for Jordan Romano, who ranked among the league’s worst relievers in several categories last season. Romano ranked 206th in the reliever category in wOBA (.365) and had the second-worst ERA (8.23).

Romano was non-tendered last winter by the Blue Jays after he missed most of 2024 recovering from right elbow surgery. He took a one-year deal with the Phillies, a team that came into last winter in need of bullpen help after losing Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman to free agency.

The 32-year-old right-hander did not meet expectations. Romano was shelled for 12 earned runs over 8.1 IP in April. He was temporarily removed from the closer’s role. Romano stepped into the closer’s role again in May and pitched well overall, as he notched six saves and struck out 17 over 10.2 IP.

Then, things went south again. A 7.27 ERA in June pushed him down the reliever depth chart, and Romano didn’t see a save again for the 2025 season. A right middle finger injury ended his season in August.

Romano’s pitch metrics were not appealing, to say the least. His average fastball velocity was down about one MPH last season, compared to 2024. And his slider, an ace pitch in 2022 and 2023, was hit hard again in 2025. He conceded seven home runs and 12 extra-base hits off it.

Per reports, the Angels will give Romano a one-year deal worth $2MM.

Analysis

The Pomeranz signing is a straightforward one to break down.

Los Angeles (AL) only had two true left-handed relievers on the 40-man roster: Reid Detmers and Brock Burke. Burke is a different type of left-hander, one who uses a four-seamer, changeup, and slider. Detmers, meanwhile, possesses more of a carrying four-seamer, coupled with a slider and a slower curveball.

Thus, the Angels get a third left-hander for Kurt Suzuki‘s bullpen, and one who can offer a different look from the rest of the bullpen.

As for Romano, it’s a relatively low-risk buy. Assuming Ben Joyce will be the primary closer/stopper, Romano will look to get his career back on track. And for the Angels, hope that he can be a stealth addition.